Water, Steam & The River Thames

Explore a really different perspective of London

Explore the River Thames on our luxury short break along the Thames with free time in London. A private guided tour of magnificent Hampton Court Palace and gardens will bring the interiors to life whilst London’s Museum of Water and Steam is a fascinating venue.

You can also relax in the picturesque setting of Henley-on-Thames with its stylish shopping and restaurants .

Duration - 3 days

Departs - Monday 4th March 2019

Price - £313

Water, Steam and the River Thames Holiday Highlights and Itinerary

Morning departure for London with the afternoon free for you to enjoy lunch, shopping and sightseeing in the capital, with its many bridges over the Thames, the longest river in England.

Travel to our hotel in time for dinner.

TUESDAY Hampton Court Palace

A fantastic day out at the world-famous Hampton Court Palace, iconic home of King Henry VIII, his wives and the Tudor dynasty.

Enjoy a private guided tour which will include the magnificent State Apartments, The Great Hall, where King Henry held court surrounded by magnificent tapestries and the vast Tudor Kitchens which supplied the feasts and entertainments of his court.

In addition you will learn the history of the palace and its inhabitants, showing how King Henry’s marriages changed the course of our nation’s history. The palace grounds and formal gardens are equally stunning and include a Tudor knot garden and the world-famous maze set along the River Thames, where masses of flowering bulbs bloom in the spring.

Continuing our watery theme we visit this fascinating museum which showcases a collection of magnificent steam pumping engines in a Victorian pumping station on the Thames. It provides a history of London’s water supply, using the pumps to take water from the Thames and transfer it into London’s reservoirs. The hands-on exhibits bring the machinery to life and there is Visitor Shop and Café.

Later to Henley-on-Thames, an attractive town scenically located on the banks of the river Thamesand home of the famous Royal regatta held annually in July.

Forever associated with messing about on the river and the stories of The Wind in the Willows and 3 Men in a Boat, this stretch of the Thames meanders through the town affording lovely riverside walks or the opportunity to sit on one of the many benches and watch the water go by! You can visit the marina to see the impressive line-up of boats or the jetties with riverboats and rowing boats for hire or the award-winning River and Rowing Museum is well worth a visit.

The town also offers stylish shopping and lunch opportunities before continuing homewards, arriving around tea-time.